Trends in Concurrent Opioid and Benzodiazepine Prescriptions in the United States, 2016 to 2019
Authors: Kun Zhang, Andrea E. Strahan, Gery P. Guy, Marc R. Larochelle
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2022)

LettersJuly 2022Trends in Concurrent Opioid and Benzodiazepine Prescriptions in the United States, 2016 to 2019Kun Zhang, PhD, Andrea E. Strahan, PhD, MPP, Gery P. Guy, PhD, MPH, Marc R. Larochelle, MD, MPHKun Zhang, PhDNational Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, Andrea E. Strahan, PhD, MPPNational Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, Gery P. Guy, PhD, MPHNational Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, Marc R. Larochelle, MD, MPHClinical Addiction Research and Education Unit, Section of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MassachusettsAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/M21-4656 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Background: When taken together, opioids and benzodiazepines can result in synergistic respiratory depression, which increases overdose risk (1). The percentage of all opioid overdose deaths involving benzodiazepines increased from 8.7% in 1999 to 21% in 2017 (1). Benzodiazepines were involved in 1-in-3 prescription opioid overdose deaths in 2017 (1). The fraction of patients receiving concurrent opioids and benzodiazepines increased 41% from 2002 to 2014 in the United States (2).Objective: This study aims at examining trends in patients receiving concurrent opioid and benzodiazepine prescriptions from 2016 to 2019 at national and state levels.Methods and Findings: Opioid and benzodiazepine prescriptions ...References1. Tori ME, Larochelle MR, Naimi TS. Alcohol or benzodiazepine co-involvement with opioid overdose deaths in the United States, 1999-2017. JAMA Netw Open. 2020;3:e202361. [PMID: 32271389] doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.2361 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. Hwang CS, Kang EM, Kornegay CJ, et al. Trends in the concomitant prescribing of opioids and benzodiazepines, 2002-2014. Am J Prev Med. 2016;51:151-160. [PMID: 27079639] doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2016.02.014 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Jeffery MM, Hooten WM, Jena AB, et al. Rates of physician coprescribing of opioids and benzodiazepines after the release of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines in 2016. JAMA Netw Open. 2019;2:e198325. [PMID: 31373650] doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.8325 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Dowell D, Haegerich TM, Chou R. CDC guideline for prescribing opioids for chronic pain---United States, 2016. JAMA. 2016;315:1624-45. [PMID: 26977696] doi:10.1001/jama.2016.1464 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Bohnert ASB, Guy GP, Losby JL. Opioid prescribing in the United States before and after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 2016 opioid guideline. Ann Intern Med. 2018;169:367-375. [PMID: 30167651] doi:10.7326/M18-1243 LinkGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Kun Zhang, PhD; Andrea E. Strahan, PhD, MPP; Gery P. Guy, PhD, MPH; Marc R. Larochelle, MD, MPHAffiliations: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GeorgiaClinical Addiction Research and Education Unit, Section of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MassachusettsNote: Dr. Zhang had full access to the data in the study and takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.Disclaimer: The findings and conclusions in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).Financial support: By the CDC via employment of Drs. Zhang, Strahan, and Guy and intergovernmental personnel agreement (IPA) no. 20IPA2009424 with Dr. Larochelle.Disclosures: Disclosures can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M21-4656.Reproducible Research Statement:Study protocol: Not available. Statistical code: Available upon request from Dr. Zhang (e-mail, [email protected]gov). Data set: IQVIA LRx data used in the analysis are proprietary and cannot be shared under the data use agreement. The data can be purchased from IQVIA.Corresponding Author: Kun Zhang, PhD, Division of Overdose Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, Atlanta, GA 30341; e-mail, [email protected]gov.This article was published at Annals.org on 7 June 2022. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byBenzodiazepines and Related Drugs in OrthopaedicsEffect of Pharmacist Email Alerts on Concurrent Prescribing of Opioids and Benzodiazepines by Prescribers and Primary Care Managers July 2022Volume 175, Issue 7Page: 1051-1053KeywordsAge groupsBenzodiazepinesFood and Drug AdministrationGeographic areasOpioid use disorderOpioidsPrevention, policy, and public healthTherapeutic drug monitoring ePublished: 7 June 2022 Issue Published: July 2022 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2022 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...